Windmill



Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

2 SHEET-SSHET 2.

/N 5 N 7 0 17672770 f? 9% 4 flr l H. J. HEGWER.

WINDMILL APPLICATION FILED AUG.4| 920.

HERMAN J. nnewna, or OAKLANECALIFOBNIA.

wnrmurnn.

Application filed August 4, 1920.. Serial No. 401,198.

To all 10 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN J. Hncwnn, a citizen of the United States. residing at the city of Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in YVindmills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wind motors and is particularly adapted where a large amount of power is required.

This wind motor is of the type which re tates about a vertical axis, and one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide means by which the full effective force of the wind against the blades of the wheel. is secured. Furthermore by the same means I secur the action of a greater amount of wind on the vanes than the exposed cross section alone would give.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved means for controlling the speed of the device and to provide a construction which is simple but which is strong and rigid where exposed to high wind pressure. With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrange ment of parts herein illustrated and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section through my improved motor and the base thereof. i

Figure 2 is a view in plan of the rotating element of the motor with the surround ing frame in cross section.

Figure 3 is a view in plan of the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view in elevation of the locking mechanism for the regulating vanes Figur 5 is a slightly enlarged section on.

the line 5--5 Figure 4.

Referring to corresponding parts in the several views by the same numerals of reference: 1 denotes a heavy concrete base having a central cavity in which is located the working mechanism of the improved wind-motor. In the center of this baseis a step-bearing 2 on which is revolvably mounted a central supporting shaft 3. I hav here shown the central part of this shaft as being made of wood to which is secured the end steel portions 5 and 6. The latter is revolvably mounted. in the cap 7 which consists of the central sleeve S and an outer circular track 9 connected by arms Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 24:,

10 and the diagonally braced. members 11..

On the upper end of sleeve 8 are formed ears 12 towhich are secured guy ropes 13. At substantially equally spaced intervals there aresecured to the central shaftsection spiders 14;, 15 and 16. Each ofthese' spiders consist of the radial arms 17 which connect .an outer circular ring 18 and an intermediate ring 19. vanes 20 are. provided, which have their outer corner secured to the rings 18 and their inner edges secured to the rings 19. The inner edges may be extended so asto overlap and .form a close central casing around the shaftand. closed pockets for the actioncf the wind. Just below the bottom Curved, vertical of the rotor, which is denoted in general by A, there is provided a spider 23 which is revolvably mounted about shaft end15. On the outer ends of the arms of this spider is. a ring 24 toth under side of which is secured wheeled rollers 25." ,These rollers rest on a track 26 which is fastened to the upper surface of the foundation 1. I

Extending upwardly from the ring 24 are struts 27 to which is secured an intermediate ring 28. The upper ends of struts 27 are attached to a ring 30 which in turn carries the rollers 31. These rollers engage within the groove 32 in the under side of ring 9 and thus serve to center'this frame with the rotor A. r 2' y Extending between two of theupright members27 which are spaced a quarter-circle apart is a shield .plate 33, this plate serving to out 01f thefwind from one half of the rotor and to be held towards the wind by the rotation. of the outer frame.

The entire outer frame is rotated on the track way 26 by means of the tail-vane 84: which is suitably guyed and anchored from one of the upright struts 27 as shown in Figure 2. Attached to shaft end 5 below spider. 23 is a threaded worm screw 40 which engages a worm wheel 41 onshaft 42. The inclination of the threads of the worm in relation to the direction of rotationis such that the thrust is exerted in an upperdireotion andthus tends to lift a portionof the weight. from the thrust bearing when'the rotor'is in movement. 0n the same shaft with the worm wheel is a toothed gear 43 which meshes with the pinion 44. This pinion is secured to shaft 45 to which is also secured a gear 46 from which a centrifugal pump 47, or other piece of machinery is driven.

The governing arrangement which I have provided consists of two vanes 50 and 51 which extend a full height of the rotor and are pivotally attached to the outer frame B as shown at 52 and 53. To the adjacent faces of these vanes are pivotally attached ends of rack bars 54 and 55. The former engages a toothed pinion 56 and the latter is somewhat smaller than toothed pinion 57. These pinions are attached to the vertical shaft 58 which is suitably supported by brackets 59 which extend outwardly from the rings 24, 28 and 30. Where a machine of considerable height is used a set of these rack bars and pinions may be provided at regular intervals throughout the len th of the folding vanes. The lower end 0 shaft 58 is provided with a toothed sprocket wheel 60 which is connected by chain 61 to a toothed sprocket 62 which is revolvably mounted on the shaft end 5 above the worm gear. Revolvable with sprocket gear 62 is a toothedsprocket 63 which is connected by a suitablechain 61 with a sprocket gear 64 on the shaft 65. The latter shaft may be rotated in'either' direction by means of the governing device next descrlbed.

This device consists of a vertical shaft 66 which isdriven in any desired manner. As here indicated a belt 67 extends from a pulley (not shown) on shaft 45 to a shaft 68 at right angles to shaft 66, the two shafts being maintained in geared connection by means of a set of bevel gears 69. Loosely mounted on theshaft 66 are the conically recessed clutch members 70 and 71, on the backs of which are toothed pinions 73 and 74. Pinion 74 meshes with a toothed gear 75 on. shaft 65, while gear 73 is in driving connection with gear 76 through idler gear 77. This connection provides a reversing drive of the shaft 65.

Attached to the shaft between these clutch members is a collar 80 from which extends arms 81 havingpivotally mounted on their outer ends bell cranks 82. The longer arms of the bell cranks are provided with the ball welghts 83. Two clutch members 88 and 89 are connected by means of arms 84 which have laterally extending pins that are engaged by the slotted inner ends ofth bell cranks. Thus when the balls are thrown outwardly by centrifugal action, the arms 84 Wlll be depressed. The clutch. members 88 and 89 have cones which cooperate with the corresponding recesses in the members 70 and 71.

Slidably mounted in a suitable support 94 1s a bar 93 from the side of which extends the arms 91 and 92 and contacts with one.

or the other as the governor moves from one extreme position to the other. Above the face of gear 76 are pawls 95 and 96 which are pivotally mounted on the support 94. These pins have laterally extending pins 97 and 98 which project into slots 99 and 100 formed in the lower end of bar 93. The upper end of the bar is provided with a collar 104 under which is a spring 105.

One of the connecting bars 84 is formed with ratchet teeth 102' which may be engaged by the pawl 108 pivoted to collar 80. This pawl provides a convenient way of disconnecting the mechanism for moving the regulating vanes as by placing the governor in a central position the shaft 58 may be turned by hand and for this purpose I provide a hand crank 101 on the'lower end thereof.

The action of my improved wind motor is as follows: The tail-vane 34 holds the rotating frame B so that the opening between the regulating vanes 50 and 51 is held towards the wind. Thus when the wind is mild these vanes will open so that their outer edges are considerably greater distances apart than their pivotal points thus forming a funnel shaped opening which tends to give the wind a greater velocity at the point where it impinges against the vanes 20. As the opposite quarter of the rotor is shielded by the plates 33, the wind entering through the funnel shaped opening will cause the rotor to turn on its axis. This power is transmitted through the spiders to the central shaft and thus through the worm and worm wheel'to the power consuming device. In case the velocity of the windv increases to such an extent that it drives the rotor and the power consuming device at a dangerous speed, the ball governor will act to depress the clutch cone 88 thereby engaging member 70 and rotating shaft 65 in such a direction that it, through the sprocket chains, rotates the shaft 58 so as to pull the vanes 50 and 51 toward each other. This decreases the flow of wind to the vanes 20 and thus decreases the speed of the rotor. As soon asa safe speed has, been reached the clutch becomes disconnected and the vanes will remain in this position until the governor is again brought into action. If the speed becomes too low the governor will then slow down and the balls tend to assume a vertical position which causes the upper cone clutch system to engage and thereby rotating shaft 65 in reverse direction and so opens the vanes.

During the time the clutch cones are not engaged with their recesses, both of the pawls 95 and 96 are in contact with the upper surface of the gear 76. The latter is provided with two sets of radially spaced ratchet teeth 107 and 108 which point in opposite directions. This construction forms an effective holding means for the shutters 50 and 51 so that they can not be moved by the windpressure against them. However, just before either clutch takes hold, disk 90 moves the bar 93 to lift the corresponding pawl 95 or 96. The pawl which remains in contact is pointed so that it does not interfere with the movement of the gear 76 as imparted by the clutch about to engage.

lVhile I have shown the preferred em,- bodiment of my invention it will be understood that changes within the scope of the claims may be made in minor details and features of design without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim as new and wish to cover by Letters Patent:

1. A wind motor comprising a rotor revolvable about a vertical axis, an open framework around said rotor and movable about the same axis, a tail vane adapted to hold said framework in a given relation to the wind, a shield covering one half of said framework on the wind side thereof, vertical, pivotally mounted, adjustable vanes for controlling the flow of air to the rotor, a governor, a pair of clutches operable by the governor, and means movable by the engagement of the clutches for moving the adjustable vanes.

2. A wind motor comprising a rotor revolvable about a vertical axis, vertical blades carried by said rotor, an open frame around said rotor movable'on the same axis, means carried by said frame for shielding one side of said rotor from the wind, a tailvane for holding said frame head-on against the wind, means for regulating the flow of wind to the blades on the other side of said rotor, a governor, clutches operable by the governor for moving the regulating means aforesaid.

A wind motor comprisinga rotor revolvable about a vertical axis, vertical blades carried by said rotor, an open frame around said rotor movable on the same axis, a tail vane for holding said frame head-on against the wind, a shield covering one half of the wind side of said frame, vertical vanes pivotally mounted along the sides of the opening on the opposite half of said frame, a governor operable by the speed of said rotor, a driving mechanism connection for moving said vanes so as to open or close the opening on the opposite half of said frame, and clutch means operable by said governor for controlling said driving means.

4. A wind motor comprising a rotor carried by a vertical shaft, a fixed base, a track thereon concentric with said shaft, an open ried by a vertical shaft, 3, fixed base, a track thereon concentric with said shaft, an open framework surrounding said rotor and revolvably mounted on said track, a tail vane carried by said frame, a quadrant shaped shield closing one half of the wind side of said frame, vanes for regulating the opening to the other half ofsaid frame, governor controlled clutch means for moving said regulating vanes in either direction, and

means for holding said vanes when said clutch means are not in operation.

6. A wind motor comprising a rotor revolvable about a vertical axis, vertical blades carried by said rotor, an open frame around said rotor movable on the same axis, a tail vane for holding said frame head-on against the wind, a shield covering one half of the wind side of said frame, vertical vanes pivotally mounted along the sides of the opening on the opposite half of said frame, a governor operable by the speed of said rotor,- direct and reverse driving connections controlled by said governor for moving said vanes sotas to open or close the opening on the opposite half of said frame, and means for holding said vanes in a giyen position when said governor is disconnected from said driving connections.

7. A wind motor comprising a rotor revolvable about a vertical axis, vertical blades carried by said rotor, an open frame around said rotor movable on the axis, a tail vane for holding said frame head-on against the wind, a shield covering one half of the wind side of said. frame, vertical vanes pivotally mounted along the Sides of the opening on the opposite half of said frame, a governor operable by the speed of said rotor, direct and reverse driving connections controlled by said governor for moving said vanes so as to open or close the opening on the opposite half of said frame, means for holding said vanes in a given position when said governor is disconnected from said driving connections, and means for rendering said governor inoperative.

8. A wind motor comprising a rotor revolvable about a vertical axis, vertical blades carried by said rotor, an open frame around said rotor movable on the same axis, a tail vane for holding said frame head-on against mounted vanes adapted to form a funnel shaped opening for the other side of said frame, means for opening and closing said vanes, a shaft revolvable proportionately to the speed of said rotor, a direct and a reverse drive from said shaft to said opening and closing means, a governor, clutch means controlled by said governor for engaging either of said drives with said shaft, means for holding said vanes When said clutch means are inoperative and means operable by governor for disengaging said holding means just previous to the engaging of said clutch means.

9. A Wind motor comprising a rotor revolvable about a vertical axis, vertical blades carried by said rotor, an open frame around said rotor movable on the same axis, a tail vane for holding said frame head-on against the Wind, a shield covering one half of the Wind side of said frame, vertical, pivotally mounted vanes adapted to form a funnel shaped opening for the other side of said frame, means for opening and closing said vanes, a shaft revolvable proportionately to the speed of said rotor, a direct and a reverse drive from said shaft to said opening and closing means, a governor, clutch means controlled by said governor for engaging either of said drives with said shaft,-separate means for holding said driving means against rotation in opposite directions, and means operable by said governor for releasing the holding means which is opposed to clutch means Which is about to engage.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HERMAN J. HEGWER. 

